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Monday, June 18, 2007

Rosewood Road Series 2 - Race 4


Now I’m nearing the end of my road campaign and I’m feeling the effects of so many races, especially after June 3rd lactic acid bath. I’m still leading the series by to 2 points over powerhouse Mike Bush. I’ve never lost to him in a bunch sprint, so I’m pretty comfortable that I’ll be able to extend my lead. I’m going to miss the last race because I’m going to be saying a quick “I do” in Las Vegas on July 7th with the Queen.

So today I’m not sure what I want to do considering my chances. Every time I have committed to trying to win the race, it has never worked out. And every time that I have set no goals, I was escorted straight to the line. For me to win the series I need to win this race, and Mike needs to finish 5th, which is highly unlikely. First reason, super-sprinter C-Wright is not in attendance because he is out of the series.

We are at the line, and I’m dreading what the announcer is going to say. “Who is the leader?” I raised my hand slowly, and he said “Why don’t you have the yellow jersey?” SH*T! I don’t want that thing, it’s a freaking BULLSEYE. The last time I had that thing on in the first series, I got my ass dragged around the freaking course. He said, you lose 5pts if you don’t wear the jersey. OK, off with the Active Cycles, on with the Bullseye. I’m not concerned, because I only have to follow one rider today.

We are at the line, and I’m dreading what the announcer is going to say. “Who is the leader?” I raised my hand slowly, and he said “Why don’t you have the yellow jersey?” SH*T! I don’t want that thing, it’s a freaking BULLSEYE. The last time I had that thing on in the first series, I got my ass dragged around the freaking course. He said, you lose 5pts if you don’t wear the jersey. OK, off with the Active Cycles, on with the Bullseye. I’m not concerned, because I only have to follow one rider today.

We are off and I have one objective, and that is to shadow Mike around the course. He is not a classic sprinter at all, but he can TT to the finish if you don’t watch him. He has won 3 races between the first series 2 series, and he has done it by making a jump in the last 3 laps before the sprinter all came into the fray. He normally sits in and does no work, NOT THE CASE TODAY. He can make a break stick, so I had to go every time he went. In the first 10 min he took like 5 digs at trying to make something happen. He had a guy that was on his wheel and he kept blocking me from being right behind him. I’m feeling ok, but I’m not going to go for any Sprints for Points this race even though I’m tied for 2nd. I don’t think I have the engine for it as I’m tapering down.

I haven’t seen Abel or Raul for Sun Cycling, they normally light things up to let their presence be know. Carlos rings the bell for points, and my plan is to shadow Mike. The pace picks up, and I just keep it easy. Around the last turn the pace picks up, and then it happens. POW!! I blew a rear flat at 30mph, and all I here is my rim on the road. I stand up on the pedals, keep the bike straight, and the riders part like the red sea. I hear the tube wrapping around my cassette and I head for the grass.

Now I’m running the bike in and the Spanish Dude on the Ducati motorcycle tells me that I have 3 laps, then I stop stressing a little. When I get to the finish line my mind starts racing. Do I have enough time to change my flat? The car is about 45sec away? Can I do it in these shoes? Is someone going to give me wheel out of courtesy of being the yellow jersey leader? Carlos says, you have 1 lap, F#*K man. New plan, start looking around for someone that I know, SH*T I don’t know anyone. Carlos says, “ Get back in the race, you are the leader. I'm thinking, "Black dude in a yellow jersey", Can’t miss me if I wanted you to. Someone yells out” Do you have Dura-Ace”? I say, "Hell yeah I do". He starts to take off his Cosmic wheel, and I run across the street. He says “ It’s your lucky day”, I was just about to leave. Then I say, I have to make this rear wheel proud and win the damn thing for you.
Observe: Red front wheel, Yellow Rear Wheel!


I get the wheel on as the riders are coming through the start/finish and the crowd starts clapping when I get up to speed. I’m nervous about this wheel because I’m particular about my pressure, and I don’t know how it will corner. When we come back around to the start/finish I give my new wheel support guy the thumps up even though I have no idea how the wheel will perform. I look down, and it’s only 21mins into a 52min race. For the second sprint, the leaders where weaving back and forth across the 2 lane road, and just before the finish line I see a bike go flying up in the air. When I pass by I see Raul on the ground. Damn, that is on of the top 5 finishers out.



Soon after the anxiety goes back down I’m finding my groove again. Mike is up to it again, and he does about another 4 to 5 digs at trying to get something to stick. The last dig I was in bad position, and his teammate actually paces me back. I looked up to the sky and said “Thank you God!”

Carlos rings the bell to indicate 3 laps to go, and all the non-sprinter start trying to make their moves and that only keeps the pace high. Now we taking turns at 30mph and I can’t get a handle on these wheels. Riding upright they are effortless, but taking sharp turns these wheels really suck. OK PACER, SHUT UP, FOCUS. YOU HAVE A SPRINT TO WIN. 2 laps to go, and I decide to no longer shadow Mike and stay in the top 15 riders. With one lap to go it surges, then slows down, and I’m right in the middle. Mike and his teammate make a move, I get out and make chase. His teammate is in the top 5 and he makes a move. Does Mike want me to chase his teammate? Hell No, I’m not gonna fall for the bananas in the tailpipe?

Mike makes his move coming out of the last turn, and I’m right on him. He is really drilling it and I look back, and the entire group is together. I don’t think they can really come around us, but they are hanging on. 200 meters from the line I’m thinking “Thanks for the lift”, and I make my move. I take a look behind me and it’s no one that has come around me in the other 8 races, so launch my J.J. Haedo move. I get a gap and just when I really want to stretch it out, the back wheel buckles. I stabilize the bike, and make another move and it buckles again. I have enough of a gap to win, and barely enough to celebrate. But for all that happened in this race I want a real show of strength at the line. I raise my hand and give a very hard fist pump 10 meters from the line. I pass the line, and a Roberto comes right by me. Phew!! That was close, very close, but I know I got it. The second place guy actually thinks I got it.








Then I come back around to the start/finish to confirm my win, can Carlos says “You got it, but don’t ever take your hands off the handlebars, we’ve had enough crashes today.” As I give the wheel back and a high five to the guy I look back at the start/finish and it is a huge debate going on with Spanish riders. I’m nervous about whether or not I won the race, so I ease back over. The camera man tells me I celebrated too early and lost the race. F#*K Pacer, why did you have to showboat? That cost me my first place. The cameraman told me he would send me the picture to confirm it. I go to the results website, and there it is, “I’m first”. I scan through the photos, and you let me know if I got it. Btw, no more gangsta ass showboating before the finish line.

Speed Pacer Out!

Monday, June 4, 2007

Rosewood Road Series 2 - Race 3

We are back to Vista View, and I’m actually going to try to win it today. Today will be the only day that I go for any green jersey point. I will only do it if it presents itself. I’m not going to burn it for the points.

All the usual suspects are here. I’m more confident because I know that the sprinters can climb, so they will get dropped in less than 10 minutes. I also know the climbers can’t sprint, so they won’t be much of a threat.

Since I have done this race I have a better idea of how to attack the course. If you really want to take the cake, you have to attack it on the next to last hill. Reason? That is the climb that you can get distance on any other rider. Coming down that hills you gain so much momentum, that you can usually glide up the final hill.

All the riders are out in force, and once we are off I’m waiting for the group to weed itself out. When the climbers started putting the hammer down, the group shattered again. This time it was a much bigger group of 25 riders, not the 10-man selection like last time. I was nervous about keeping a good position because that many guys it makes it more difficult to make a good move. Riders are attacking harder than before, and I’m surprised (Or, am I’m just suffering), because some of those same riders were the same ones that got drop in less than 10 minutes at the first race.

O.K. I’m suffering, and I have used the same tactics as the last race. Sitting in the back is hurting, and I don’t feel like I’m getting any protection. I feel like we have a headwind up and down both sides of the climbs. My heartrate is 181bpm, and we have only been racing for 12minutes. I look around and that group of 25 has disintegrated into a 10-man group. Great! A small group is easy to manage. But the group is out of control, and the attacks keep coming.

At the first sprint there is 3 guys up the road, but the last guy is lingering and can may be get caught at the line. I didn’t want to go that deep, but there is a chance. Coming down the last hill I hit it hard. Coming up the hill I’m out of the saddle trying to salvage 3rd place double points, but I come up short. Now, I have gone into the red, and go no points. The group catches me and I jump right to the back, and I’m so hurt that I’m actually afraid I’m going to get dropped.


I manage to dig deep enough to stay on the back, but I’m on the rivet big time. Riders are taking unusually hard pulls, or am I just hurting that much. They almost seem like attacks, and I can’t even manage to stay in the slimstream. I’m wasting a lot of energy, and I’m never seeming to recovery, not even at the back.

When it’s time for the second sprint I manage to get second because a rider had already attacked off the front, and I go into the red to get it. I’m hurting even worst, but I have gotten used to the acid bath my legs and lungs are in, so I keep plugging along. I’m at the back and some of the other riders are trying to sit on my wheel. I purposely open up a gap so far that they have to come around me. I’m going to make sure I’m the last person, but I’m not so far gone that I can’t bridge on my own.



This is one of those times that I’m ready for the race to be over, and when Carlos say’s “3 laps to go”, the attacks went. Now, I’m happy because I’m really going to sit on now. Out of nowhere a rider goes off the front, and no one reacts because he may just come back to us. With one lap to go my heartrate is already over 180 beats and I blown up, but I manage to stay near the front. Before the last climb Roman Joa makes a jump for it. No one really reacts. I’m not worried about him; I’m following Mike Bush as he is the only one in the series that is close to me in the overall.

On the next to last climb New dude is off the front, and Roman is catching him. We are still together with Mike Bush leading it, and me on his wheel. Coming down the last climb to go up to the sprint I can get my bike in the big chain ring. I have about 15 seconds to work it out, but decide to go for it in the bottom ring. Mike is in front of as we hit the bottom of the climb to sprint to the top. He pulls away from me and my legs are spinning too fast to catch him, but I pull close to him at the line. Roman takes the win, Mike catches New Dude on the line, I take forth, and Roberto takes 5th.



I find out after the race that New Dude jumped in on the backside with 5 laps to go. I was so concerned with staying on I didn’t notice the guy. Carlos said he yelled at the guy to get off the course for the last 4 laps, but he didn’t listen and kept riding. So I actually finished 3rd in the race. Now I’m leading the series by 2 points over Mike Bush. I know that Mike has never beaten me in a group sprint, so the agenda for the next race is to sit on Mike’s wheel, and not let him go off the front. I have to put as many points on him as possible to lock up the series, because Ms P. and I are getting married in Las Vegas the weekend of the last race.

Pacer Out!